Tacko Fall Records Season’s 1st Double-double in Win over Southeastern Louisiana

(Photo by Victor Tan / New Day Review)

Game Recap

ORLANDO, Fla. – Tacko Fall isn’t completely health yet, but his stat line might say otherwise. The UCF Knights junior topped his season-high 18 points from last game with his first double-double of the season, posting 19 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks in a 61-53 win over Southeastern Louisiana University at CFE Arena Tuesday night.

Fall used all 7-foot-6 of his 295-pound frame against the Lions’ relatively undersized lineup. Southeastern Louisiana’s biggest player is 6-foot-8, 207-pound guard Keith Charleston.

“I thought Tacko really established a low-post presence for us tonight,” Knights head coach Johnny Dawkins said after the win. “You know, I thought he got us off to a really good start. We went into him early and often, and he delivered. And from that, we were able to kinda build out our offense the rest of the way.”

Fall started his night with a game-leading 12 points in the first half, shooting 6-for-8 from the field. Despite his efficient performance, UCF only led by two at halftime, as the rest of the Knights shot just 7-for-25.

Despite its early shooting woes, UCF managed to pull away late in the second half behind timely buckets and staunch defense. That effort was led by Fall, as he drained back-to-back free throws to take a one-point, 50-49 lead at the 5:17 mark. After Jordan Capps missed two free throws on the Lions’ ensuing possession, forward A.J. Davis extended the Knights’ lead to three with a jumper before both teams went scoreless for the next two minutes.

Capps narrowed the Knights’ lead to one with two free throws, but point guard Terrell Allen’s jumper made it a three-point game with two minutes to go. Allen scored six of the Knights’ final seven points, going 4-for-4 from the line in the last 1:34.

“It was a good experience for me, again, today,” Allen said after the game. “Down the stretch, I just tried to find my spots as best as I can, even if it’s for me or for my teammates. I have great teammates around me, so it makes it easier on my part, and when they close in on me, I get to get the ball out, and, when they don’t, I get to find my shot.”

Player of the Game: C Tacko Fall

The Dakar, Senegal, native recorded his first double-double of the season, shooting 8-for-10 from the field and 3-for-4 from the free-throw line. Five of his 11 rebounds were offensive. Fall also recorded a season-high 30 minutes, despite still nursing an early-season hip injury.

“I mean, [my hip’s] coming along,” Fall said after the game. “Last game, I felt it kinda little bit coming, and, this game, I felt a little better. I think I was on the court a little longer this game, too. Like I said last time, it’s a day-by-day thing.”

What’s next?

The Knights travel to face the Stetson Hatters on Dec. 19 and will host the South Carolina State Bulldogs for their final non-conference game of the season.

Johnny Dawkins Not Concerned About Offense

During the early-season going, the Knights have had their share of both good offensive games and poor ones. After their last win over Southern University, Dawkins said his team’s offense was steadily catching up to its defense. Against Southeastern Louisiana, the Knights faltered early in the game on the offensive side, shooting just 39.4 percent (13-for-33).

Instead of looking at percentages, though, Dawkins took note of his team’s 11 turnovers, an improvement from UCF’s 13 against Southern.

“I don’t consider missed shots taking a step back,” Dawkins said. “I mean, a missed shot is a missed shot. I just want to make sure you’re taking great shots. And they took great looks… To be quite frank, we are still trending in the right direction, offensively, even though the numbers may not bear out.

“The numbers I look at is the turnovers; we had 11. Last game, we had 13. I think our season-high’s 27. So, we’re definitely trending in the right direction, offensively, because we’re valuing the possessions, valuing the ball more—all the things that are necessary to give yourself a chance to win.”

Shooting guard Dayon Griffin had played his worst game of the season, going 0-for-9 from the field and 0-for-5 from 3-point range.

“You know, we’ve all been there. I’ve been there before, too, you know? And worse than the numbers he had tonight,” Dawkins said. “The thing is any good shooter, any good player is next play. You know, you can’t do anything about what happened in the past. It’s not a reflection of what’s gonna happen in the future for you.

“And, typically, you know, those numbers always bear out for good players and good shooters, and Dayon is a good player and a good shooter. So, what he’s going through, now—he’ll have nights where he’s not gonna be able to miss shots. It’s just the way it goes in this sport, and, you know, we’re just waiting for that to click for him, and it will.”

NDR Notes

• Fall recorded his first double-double of the season in the win over SLU.
• In the win over SLU, Fall also recorded a season-high 30 minutes.
• Griffin shot 0-for-9 from the field and 0-for-5 from 3-point range, scoring two points off free throws in 23 minutes.
• Allen scored six of the Knights’ last seven points in an eight-point win over SLU.

Scoring

Statistics and Starting Lineups

Team Leaders

Team Statistics

Shooting Percentages

UCF Knights starting lineup: Terrell Allen (G), Ceasar DeJesus (G), Djordjije Mumin (G), A.J. Davis, Tacko Fall (C)

Southeastern Louisiana Lions starting lineup: Marlain Veal (G), Joshua Filmore (G), Keith Charleston (G), Moses Greenwood (F), James Currington (F)

For more on the Knights, as they prepare for their final two non-conference games, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.